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Vacuum Cleaners

Fisher & Paykel is Moving to Mexico

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Fisher & Paykel, the New Zealand appliance manufacturer well known for it’s dishwasher drawers and washing machines is consolidating it’s manufacturing and moving to Reynosa, Mexico, just south of the U.S. border.

The range and DishDrawer factory in Dunedin, New Zealand, the refrigeration plant in Brisbane, Australia and the DCS manufacturing plant in Huntington Beach will be relocated to the new facility in the next 12-18 months. The DCS move is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and individual manufacturing lines will be shifted separately to reduce the impact on warehouse inventory. The U.S. operation will continue to employ sales and marketing, customer services, head office and an engineering staff of around 340 employees. The financial benefit of the DCS move is expected to be $6.6 million per year with a one off cost of $7 million, both at pre-tax level.

“This expansion is designed to streamline our manufacturing costs, and bring increased consistency and efficiency to the company’s production process in the U.S. market, “ said Mike Goadby, North American President for Fisher & Paykel Appliances. “It’s an emotional time for all of us, but this move will make us more competitive in the U.S. and strengthen our distribution efforts through making them more efficient.”

With the Reynosa acquisition and the new North American DishDrawer line announced last year, the financial benefits of the new strategy are expected to be around $50 million per year, at a one off cost of approximately $100 million. The cost of the move will be offset by the sale of surplus property in Australia and New Zealand, which could total approximately $100 million.

You can read more here.

Bissell’s Little Green

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Bissell introduces a handy little deep cleaner for use around the house. It’s portable and can be used in the car as well. It has a long power cord and since it can be hand-held, you can easily clean in hard to reach areas and on stairs. It can be used on pretty much all carpet types and requires minimal maintenance other than emptying and rinsing the dirty water tank. This new green cleaner has parts made from post consumer recycled material and the tanks and hose are PVC free. It retails for $74.99

Vacuum Shoe

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Here’s something that sounds good in theory, but doesn’t seem to work in practice- The people at Electrolux thought that putting a vacuum in a pair of shoes might appeal to the overworked multi-tasker. Well, it’s been over a year since this concept debuted and we’re waiting to see if our local discount store will be selling these stunning sneakers in our favorite colors.

Halo – Germ Killing Vacuum

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If you have carpets in your home, it has probably occurred to you that despite regular vacuuming and scheduled cleanings, they likely harbor a great variety of unsavory bacteria.  I know that even though we all take off our shoes when we come home, I can’t require that visitors do the same and so the city grime of my neighborhood gets tracked in.

Carpet cleaners have never seemed satisfactory to me and so I am very interested in this new vacuum- the Halo.

According to Halo Technologies, a typical carpet harbors more than 100,000 dust mites per square yard; these dust mites are the number one indoor cause of allergies. Ultraviolet light in the “C” spectrum (UV-C) disables the DNA of these household pests, destroying their ability to multiply. The Halo UV-ST contains a UV-C bulb chamber at the bottom of the unit. Activating the ultraviolet technology while running the vacuum over carpets, instantly kills germs living between the fibers.

Ultraviolet light technology has been used for more than 60 years to purify drinking water and sterilize operating rooms and medical instruments. Independent researchers have tested and proven the efficacy of the germ-killing benefits in the Halo UV-ST.

“The Halo UV-ST is more than a high-performing traditional vacuum cleaner; it’s the next generation in home cleaning. We’ve all disinfected other areas of our home for years. Now our Halo Ultraviolet Vacuums allow you to achieve that same level of clean in your carpeting without any extra effort and without using any harmful chemicals,” said Ken Garcia, CEO of Halo Technologies, Inc. “This product will change the lives of allergy and asthma sufferers, parents with young children, pet owners and anyone that wants a cleaner, greener home.”

The Halo HEPA filter provides the highest level of air filtration available and is comparable to the quality level used by the military in fighter planes. The new soft-top model is equipped with special features that optimize the vacuum’s breakthrough technology, including: versatile attachments for easy access to hard-to-reach places, an extra-long 31-foot power cord, and a height adjuster to accommodate various surfaces, including tile and wood. The UV-ST has a 14-inch cleaning path and two powerful motors, yet it only weighs 16.8 pounds.

I don’t have allergies, but I do have small children who think of our floors as their personal play space and if I can find a safe way to keep the house cleaner – I’m interested.

HEPA Filters – What You Need to Know

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Do you need a HEPA filter on your new vacuum?  First, it helps to know what a HEPA filter is.  HEPA is an acronym for “High Efficiency Particulate Air”, which means that it traps smaller dust particles than an ordinary filter.  A vacuum with a HEPA filter should not blow as many dirt particles back into the air as one with a standard filter.  The catch is that not all HEPA filters are alike.

The first is a True or Absolute HEPA filter which must pass tests to be certified as True.  A True or Absolute filter will have a serial number attesting to its status.  It must be able to trap at least 99.97 percent of particles of .3 microns. These test results will be printed on the filter. True or absolute HEPA filters may be more expensive than other HEPA filters, but they must perform at a certain standard to receive the distinction of True or Absolute HEPA.

The second is a HEPA type filter which look like HEPA filters and may be made similarly, but often capture only 85 to 90 percent of particles and that percent can fall even lower for particles of 1 micron and below. HEPA type filters are less expensive than true or absolute HEPA filters.

In order to know what you are buying, look for serial numbers and test results if you want to purchase a True or Absolute HEPA filter.  Check the test results at .3 microns to make sure your filter is a True or Absolute HEPA.

Allergy sufferers might find some relief with HEPA filtration, especially in home with pets.  Before you spend the extra money on a HEPA filter, make sure your family needs one, then just just the packaging to make sure you are getting what you pay for.

How a Vacuum Works

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If you take a minute now to visit www.howstuffworks.com, you will be prepared the next time a small child asks you how the vacuum works.  This site gives a clear, and very detailed description of a vacuum’s mechanics.

Diagram of a vacuum cleaner

When you plug the vacuum cleaner in and turn it on, this is what happens:

  1. The electric current operates the airplane propeller).
  2. As the fan blades turn, they force air forward, toward the exhaust port (check out How Airplanes Work to find out what causes this).
  3. When air particles are driven forward, the density of particles (and therefore the air pressure) increases in front of the fan and decreases behind the fan.

This pressure drop behind the fan is just like the pressure drop in the straw when you sip from your drink. The pressure level in the area behind the fan drops below the pressure level outside the vacuum cleaner (the ambient air pressure). This creates suction, a partial vacuum, inside the vacuum cleaner. The ambient air pushes itself into the vacuum cleaner through the intake port because the air pressure inside the vacuum cleaner is lower than the pressure outside.

As long as the fan is running and the passageway through the vacuum cleaner remains open, there is a constant stream of air moving through the intake port and out the exhaust port. But how does a flowing stream of air collect the dirt and debris from your carpet? The key principle is friction.

 

Downsizing? Some Choice Advice for Baby-Boomers

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As the population ages, many people choose to move to smaller homes or condos for ease of maintenance.  Some Baby-Boomers are purchasing smaller, second homes that can become retirement homes in the future. 

Marriette Mifflin at about.com advises:

Take a serious look at your appliances, large and small, and consider their age, general condition, capacity, performance, and how likely you are to use them in the future. Consider the impact of moving certain appliances. Older refrigerators or freezers may not survive a physical relocation and would be best replaced for the new home.

Replacing older appliances for more efficient ones will save you energy dollars and the outlay to purchase now, will hopefully provide you with many years of trouble-free use. Replacing later on a limited budget may be more difficult.

We all have our favorite appliances and housewares, but most of us have items that we actually like, but seldom use for whatever reason. And, we often store appliances that aren’t working quite right, for disposal at some undetermined time – well now is the time. When you’re faced with moving, re-evaluating and de-cluttering is a must.

A second or retirement home may be smaller than the family home you’ve spent many years in new appliances should be evaluated accordingly.

Do you really need a high capacity washer and dryer, or would a compact set be sufficient? What size of refrigerator is adequate? Maximize counter space by choosing space-saving appliances and limiting counter presence by importance, and storing the rest.
Consider handling and ease of operation. Choose a vacuum that you can easily lift and maneuver, or consider an upright that may be easier to handle. When buying a new laundry set, the optional pedestal drawers do add to the cost, but may greatly increase the ease of transferring clothes and reducing back strain. An upright freezer may be more accessible for you than a chest model.

It is worth the investment of some careful planning now– it could pay off with some serious savings financially and emotionally, in the future.

Vacuum Savant

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Many children enjoy collecting things- stamps, coins, baseball cards, dolls, vacuums–vacuums?! Yes, Kyle Krichbaum of Michigan has a collection of 165 vacuums including an antique Hoover model O worth about $10,000. He repairs and enjoys using his collection and plans to continue this hobby into his future. You can see him here: